Key-fastener



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

E. I-I. BAILEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

KEY-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 31,939, dated April 9, 1861.

To all whom it 'may concern.'

Be it known that I, E. H. BAILEY, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented a Device for Fastening the Keys of Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a. full, clear, and eXact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention consists of a device, fully described hereafter, for so securing the keys oflocks to the handles of the same, that the locks cannot be picked through the keyholes on the outside of the door, either by fine nippers or pliers, or by other lock-picking instruments used. by burglars and hotel thieves for gaining access to sleeping apartments &c.

In order to enable others to make and use my invention, l will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

On reference to the accompanying draw` ing which forms a part of this specification, Figure l is a front view, and Eig. 2 a side View representing my improved key-fas tener as applied to an ordinary door lock.

A represents part of a door to the inside of which is secured an ordinary lock B, of which C is the handle, and D the key.

My improved fastener consists of four pieces, namely the wire E bent to the form of a hook, the link F, the wire G, which has a hook at one end, and a screwed stem, and the nut H adapted to this screwed stem. One end of the hooked wire E is jointed to one end of the link F, the other end of the latter having an eye through whichthe screwed stem of the piece G passes, and against which the nut H bears.

It is well known that when a door is locked on the inside, and the key is left in the lock, the bolt of the latter' can be moved hack from the outside of the door, by in serting a pair of fine nippers or pliers through the keyhole, grasping the end of the key and turning the same partly around.

The especial object of my invention is to prevent the possibility of any successful attenpt to thus unlock the door from the outsl e.

In applying my fastener to the lock (the bolt of the latter being of course first moved out) the bent wire E is hooked onto the stem a of the handle C, and the end of the wire G is hooked into the eye of the key. The nut H is then screwed down -the stem of the said wire G, and bearing against the eye ofthe link F forces the latter down theV stem, draws the hook E tight to the stemof the handle, and the hooked endvof the wire G tight to the eye of the key, so that it is impossible to turn the latter until the fastener is removed which is easily done after screwing back the nut H.

The distance between the handle and the keyhole differs in different locks, but the screwed portion of the wire G is so long that the instrument can be readily adjusted tothe handle and key of any lock of mod# erate dimensions.

Independent of the security afforded by the above described instrument against the picking of the lock by nippers or pliers, the key, held as it is, firmly and immovably in the lock, presents a bar to the introduction 0f skeleton keys or other lock-picking devices.

It will be evident that my fastener` may be considerably modified both as regards form and construction, without departing from the main features of my invention. I therefore do not desire to confine myself to the specific shape, arrangement, or con* struction of parts herein described; but

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- Connecting the handle to the key of the lock by the pieces E, F and G, or their equivalents, arranged for attachment to and detachmentfrom the handle and key of a lock substantially as set forth, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

E. H. BAILEY.

lVitnesses HENRY HowsoN, CHAs. I-IoWsoN. 

